Knitter’s Spotlight: Baby’s First BFF by Mary Triplett

by ashleypalumbo on September 13, 2013

Mary Triplett’s latest design was something of a personal challenge. She often sews teddy bears for people, but this time she wanted to see if she could knit a teddy bear on a blanket using a variety of stitches. “I even had to invent some new stitches because I couldn’t find a stitch that worked just right.”

After lots of knitting (and ripping), Mary perfected her pattern for Baby’s First BFF. She used two shades of our Vintage yarn for the adorable baby blanket – knitting the textured teddy bear in white and then adding a green and white slip-stitch border. If you’re familiar with reading charts, provisional cast-ons, cables, ribbing and twisted stitches, this project is a great way to show off your skills. If you’re still a beginner, just think of it as a crash course in knitting!

Any interesting stories about the process?

The legs and feet were the hardest, along with the proportions. Because the process was so slow (ripping, knitting, ripping, knitting), I was able to think about additional design elements. That’s how I came up with details like the YOs for the bow around the bear’s neck.

How did you decide on the yarn?

Berroco’s Vintage is kind of my go-to yarn for baby things. It is so soft, and it’s easy care for mothers.

Any funny knitting stories?

It’s not really my story, but it is funny. Another knitter was showing me her beautiful Fair Isle sweater, which was a bit of an hourglass shape. She explained that she had to rip most of it out and knit it over simply because her mother-in-law had come to stay while she was knitting it and it seems her tension got quite a bit tighter during the visit!

What’s your favorite thing about knitting?

The friendships…I’ve seen complete strangers welcomed with open arms into a group of knitters simply because they knit. Race, religion or political leanings do not matter. If you knit, you are in. Knitters are people who set a great example of acceptance and kindness.